Thursday, June 30, 2011

Motley Crue singer Vince Neil will be honored with a "Lifetime Achievement In Rock 'N' Roll" award as part of the Vegas Rocks! Magazine Awards on August 21 in the main showroom of the Las Vegas Hilton.

The Las Vegas Sun reports a raft of rockers will salute Vince, including what’s expected to be a huge red carpet turnout at the awards, with more than 200 musicians on hand.

“We will be honoring Vince with the Lifetime Achievement in Rock ’n’ Roll” Award, and there is no one that deserves it more than Vince,” Vegas Rocks! Magazine Publisher Sally Steele said.

“Vince has done so much over the years for charity since he has lived here in Las Vegas and done so many events that has made this town buzz with excitement. It is especially a thrill to me personally to present this award to Vince, since I started this publication seven years ago to honor and glorify my favorite band Motley Crue."

“We are also planning on having a secret special guest present Vince’s award to him with me, so stay tuned!”

Vince is currently on the road with the Mötley Crüe /Poison/New York Dolls tour that will play more than 40 shows across North America this summer.

The Scorpions will perform rearrangements of their own hits accompanied by the German film orchestra Babelsberg at the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Classic Open Air 2011.

The Berlin Classic Open Air is a string of classical concerts that takes place every year during summer. Featuring a range of different performances, the program this year runs from July 7 to July 12 and includes Italian opera and operetta, German opera, and crossover productions that incorporate pop, rock, soul, and jazz.

The Scorpions play Berlin Classic Open Air on July 11.

The site of the Classic Open Air is Berlin’s majestic Gendarmenmarkt. Built in the 17th century, this former marketplace is home to some of Germany’s most stunning architecture and is rightly regarded as one of the most Europe's most beautiful squares. Among its treasures are the much-photographed twin churches of Franzoesischer Dom (French cathedral) and Deutscher Dom (German cathedral), and the splendid Konzerthaus, which is home to the Berlin Symphony Orchestra.

This cross-genre concert will be followed by a fireworks and lightshow extravaganza.

The Scorpions' “Get Your Sting And Blackout” world tour continues throughout Europe over the next six weeks; following a short break in the schedule, the German rockers play a series of shows in France in November.

More details about the recent Lou Reed/Metallica sessions are coming out.

In a new interview with New York magazine, Reed reveals the collaboration is based on songs for a theatrical production of Frank Wedekind’s classic femme fatale “Lulu” plays.

“There are two stories ‘Lulu’s based on, and I rewrote ‘Lulu’ from the get-go, taking the original plot — mostly ‘Earth Spirit,’ not ‘Pandora’s Box’ — and followed it essentially from the point of view of Lulu and the various people who love her, until she gets involved with Jack the Ripper,” explains Reed. “The basics. So the Metallica version will have absolutely all of that and more. It’ll probably come out by November.”

Any chance of Metallica joining a “Lulu” production?

“I don’t think Metallica wants to be a band on Broadway!,” chuckles Reed. “They’re metalheads. They’re not going to do that. But the version of the 'Lulu' music I did with Metallica is awe-inspiring. It’s maybe the best thing done by anyone, ever. It could create another planetary system. I’m not joking, and I’m not being egotistical.”

Music Week reports Universal Music Publishing has extended its worldwide agreement with Metallica to cover the band’s back catalogue and new material.

The publishing company first started representing the band in 1988, and the deal excludes North America and Japan.

“Metallica are one of the biggest selling bands of all time and have created a phenomenal body of work during the last three decades,“ said Universal Music Publishing President of Europe and UK Paul Connolly.

Metallica will be busy this summer with solo shows and Big 4 dates, but as far as new music is concerned, the band recently announced that they had just completed an album with Lou Reed.

“Ever since we had the pleasure of performing with Lou at the 25th Anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009, we have been kicking around the idea of making a record together,” Metallica announced. “Some of you astute Bay Area residents may have picked up news of recent Lou Reed sightings in the greater San Francisco area and we have indeed been working at our home studio at HQ on and off over the last few months.”

“In what would be lightning speed for a Metallica related project, we recorded ten songs during this time and while at this moment we're not exactly sure when you'll hear it, we're beyond excited to share with you that the recording sessions wrapped up [earlier this month].”

Ozzy Osbourne and OzTV hit Hellfest in Clisson, France for a June 19 show.

The Hellfest footage includes a Father’s Day moment for guitarist Gus G., which he shares with his bandmates, before yet another Spinal Tap moment hits the band – confusion reigns over the 15 minutes notice the guys are given before the show is to begin. Hilarious!

The Hellfest show was one of the final dates on the 3rd leg of Ozzy’s European “Scream” tour; he’ll fire up the fourth leg for more shows there later this summer, starting with the Wacken Open Air Festival on August 4.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The annual Sammy Hagar birthday bash in Cabo is on the horizon, and Sammy is spreading the news:

"Redheads...….the 2011 Cabo Wabo Cantina Birthday Bash dates are set. Sammy and the Wabos will be playing the Cantina October 7, 9, 11 and 13th. Tickets will be available at Redrocker.com on July 26, 2011. The ticketing system will be similar to what we did last year.

Here is how it will work:

- Tickets will be sold through the Redrocker Store for $55 per ticket. - There will be a two ticket limit per person, per show. - Tickets will be nonrefundable, nontransferable and there are NO service charge fees. All sales are FINAL. If we find tickets being resold via eBay or other media, we will cancel all purchases by that customer and refund their money. - We will accept PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. - Purchased tickets will be available for pick up at the Cantina (2 pm to 10 pm) October 7, 9, 11 and 13th. - Tickets for each show will be available for pick up day of show only. - Ticket purchases will be made through a "PayPal" account similar to the current "On Stage" ticketing system. - You do not need a PayPal account to purchase a ticket, you can continue your purchase as a guest. Once you make a purchase, you will receive a transaction ID number. You will want to keep this number for your records in case you have any issues. Your name MUST match the name on the purchasing credit card or PayPal account (If your PayPal Account is through a business MAKE SURE YOU ADD YOUR NAME to that account), you will be required to show proper photo ID to pick up your tickets (Drivers License or Passport). NO EXCEPTIONS.

Dinner Shows - Dinner shows tickets will be $90 per person. - Dinner shows tickets sales will remain as in the past, they will be sold at the Cantina, first come first serve. - Dinner tickets tentatively will be sold at noon at the Cantina on the following dates: October 6th for the Shows on the 7th and 9th October 10th for the Shows on the 11th and 13th - 2 tickets per person, added security will be added to those in line so we will not allow anyone to hold places in line for friends. Please note that these will be the ONLY tickets available and no additional tickets will be given away day of show! - The rest will remain the same and the party will be better that ever!

Doors for all shows will be at 7:00pm and show time will be approximately 9:30pm.

Something got fixed in Halifax, albeit behind closed doors, and the show will go on.

The Chronicle Herald reports that, over the past week, Halifax Regional Municipality threatened to withhold permits necessary to run the July 14 Rock The Hill event with Metallica in an effort to pressure the concert promoter to repay the $359,000 lost in the cash-for-concerts debacle.

"MacKay Entertainment Inc. and Halifax Regional Municipality are very pleased to confirm that Rock the Hill is going forward as planned. In recent days, issues have been raised with respect to the provision of services associated with the concert. Any outstanding issues have been resolved. We look forward to residents and visitors enjoying a great time at a great concert in a great city."

Butts confirmed the concert organizer would receive all necessary permits. He evaded questions about the status of the money the concert organizer received in order to put on the Black Eyed Peas concert last summer, money it could not repay when ticket sales tanked.

"I don't know what the future will hold," he said. "I don't know what we are going to do tomorrow.”

MacKay Entertainment Inc. has claimed victory in its battle with the city to obtain municipal permits for fire, police and other services for the Metallica concert.

MacKay told reporters he was extremely pleased that the Metallica concert is a go; he also reiterated his long-held position that he doesn't owe the city any money.

The world watched in horror as the earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan; so the legendary rock band KISS partnered with MINI USA and unleashed the power of The KISS Army to battle the elements with dollars – and plenty of them.

KISS and MINI USA raised $129,000 during an eBay online charity auction of four custom-painted and autographed MINI Countryman vehicles. After shipping, all proceeds will be donated to UNICEF to help children in Japan and other emergency efforts around the world.

And the initiative keeps on giving… KISS vehicle wraps based on the auctioned designs are still available for purchase through Miniusanews.com or local MINI dealerships. MINI USA’s proceeds from those sales will continue to help those in need.

“The KISS Army is the greatest army in the world and when they heard the cry for help, they fought back in the best way that they knew how – with their wallets,” said Paul Stanley. “The KISS MINIs are the ultimate way to show your KISS Army colors and it’s a reminder that we have the best fans in the world.”

The four custom-painted vehicles are the all-new 2011 MINI Countryman, and each vehicle features the iconic makeup and costume association of one KISS member, including co-founder and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley (Starchild), co-founder and bassist Gene Simmons (The Demon), lead guitarist Tommy Thayer (Spaceman) and drummer Eric Singer (Catman).

All of the MINIs are autographed by all four members of KISS and have become instant collector’s items.

“The KISS MINIs are rare one-of-a-kind collector’s items and KISS salutes the winners of the auction,” said Gene Simmons. “The new owners have the satisfaction of knowing that they not only have an instant investment that will keep growing in value, but every time they look at the car, they’ll also be reminded that the real value is knowing that their dollars helped children in the greatest need.”

“Thank you to the auction participants and MINI owners who bought vehicle wraps, thereby contributing to this charitable effort. MINI USA is proud that our vehicles were featured as part of such a remarkable initiative and helped raise much needed funds,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President MINI USA. “It is fantastic to see what started as a simple idea grow into something that will touch the lives of so many. UNICEF does great work and I hope that the ties with KISS and MINI have elevated awareness and support of their tireless efforts.”

The eBay auction winners are located in North Carolina, Oregon, and Massachusetts. The vehicles will be delivered in the coming weeks to their new homes.

Halifax is playing hardball with organizers of next month’s Metallica concert.

The ChronicleHearald reports that, in a letter dated June 15, Jerry Blackwood, the revenue manager for Halifax Regional Municipality, spells it out for promoter Michelle MacKay. MacKay heads MacKay Entertainment Inc. and is married to Harold MacKay, the controversial former promoter who is also involved in organizing the concert.

“HRM’s position regarding providing services to your concert is firm,” Blackwood wrote to MacKay. “We will not release any services without an acceptable repayment strategy for the funds owing from the 2010 concerts.

“Based on the history and resulting public funds owed from the 2010 concerts, our position is that it would have been prudent and practical on your part to consult HRM at the senior management level as to your plans for the Metallica concert. Had HRM been advised upfront in the early days of planning for this concert, you would have known our position and could have made an appropriate business decision at that point in time. Today, the fate of the concert remains in your hands.”

It shows the municipality has been trying to recoup the $359,550 remaining from the $400,000 advanced to Harold MacKay last summer because of poor advance ticket sales for the Black Eyed Peas and Alan Jackson shows.

“We have nothing to say,” city spokeswoman Shaune MacKinlay responded Monday when asked about the city denying services for the Metallica show.

But correspondence between Harold MacKay and Blackwood earlier this month lays out the problem.

“From the public’s perspective, public moneys were improperly used to finance the two concerts on the Halifax Commons that were held last summer,” Blackwood wrote in a June 8 letter to MacKay. “This situation needs to be addressed.”

Wayne Anstey, the city’s former chief administrative officer, stepped down in March after he acknowledged that unauthorized outlays of cash had been provided to MacKay.

“Therefore,” Blackwood’s letter said, “any so-called grant from the municipality, if any, was not a valid grant and any moneys paid out pursuant to the invalid agreement are now due and owing.

“The MacKay family has asked the municipality to provide services in support of the Metallica concert. The municipality is not obliged to provide the services you have requested. If you and any member of your family wish to continue to do concert business with the municipality, the municipality expects that a payment plan to reimburse the public for concert debts will have to be negotiated.”

It may already be too late to save Metallica’s Halifax show. In that same June 8 letter, Blackwood said: “Any commitment of municipal services needs to be made by June 14, 2011, in order for the municipality to be in a position to deliver on those services for the July 14 concert date.”

2011 marks the 35th Anniversary of one of the most popular live albums of all time - "Frampton Comes Alive".

The 1976 double-album sent Peter Frampton’s career into the stratosphere, going on to sell more than 6 million copies in the US in its first year alone.

Peter had no idea what was coming or how big the record would become.

“We thought audiences were not getting us on record, but they were getting us live,” Frampton told Goldmine last year. “So we thought gold, 500,000. It sort of did that the first week. I felt like I was in a jet fighter with the canopy off. It was pretty intense.”

Still, Frampton knew there was some magic in the live recording that made up most of “Frampton Comes Alive!”

“I remember the [show] at [the] Winterland [Arena in San Francisco],” he says. “I’d say 75 or 80 percent comes from that one night. It was a very special evening, because it was first time I headlined in San Francisco or anywhere. Up to that point, I was opening or in the middle spot.”

Getting top billing meant Frampton and his band, which included newcomers Bob Mayo on keyboards and rhythm guitar and Stanley Sheldon on bass, would have to expand their repertoire.

“We had 15 minutes of material, so we had to stretch it up,” recalls Frampton. “We put the acoustic spot in — hadn’t done that at all. I think that was the first time we performed acoustically at all. There was so much to think about that I couldn’t think about anything. It just sort of came out, and we had fun in the end. The ovation was so amazing, and it put us so at ease. It was one of these special nights where you go, jeez, I wish we’d recorded that. Well, we did.”

More than three decades later and Frampton is bringing that live magic back in 2011 with the Frampton Comes Alive 35 tour.

“We’ll be doing the set list that we did that night at the Winterland in San Francisco, but we’re not recreating it. That was just one night,” Frampton tells the Globe & Mailthis week.

Fans shouldn’t expect the show to recreate the album note for note.

“No. If you paid me a billion dollars I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway,” laughs the guitarist. “I’m not made that way. I am of the moment, always have been. I’m much better at take one than at take two in the studio.”

“I couldn’t just do Frampton Comes Alive!,” continues Peter. “We’re doing a three-hour concert, with two acts – one act being that record. Things have come around for me, in part because of my Grammy for my ‘Fingerprints’ album in 2007. That to me was a validation, finally, as the first piece of success that I had had that meant something to me since Comes Alive!”

Could Frampton experience another massive wave of success like the mid-70s experience?

“Oh, I don’t think so,” replies Peter. “It was a moment in time when all the stars were aligned. I would never want that kind of ferocious success, though. It was a fury of good and bad. Now I’m more happy than ever to go out there as a musician, and to be appreciated, it seems, on a new high. It seems to have come full circle.”

Monday, June 27, 2011

Poison’s Bret Michaels was one of the guests featured on this past week’s episode of the Biography channel's "Celebrity Ghost Stories."

"Celebrity Ghost Stories" is told completely through first-person narrative by notable actors, musicians and personalities who believe they have experienced the other side. The hit series features descriptive, personal accounts that deliver a compelling, surprising and downright chilling look into the world of the paranormal.

In the second episode of Season 3, the singer tells the story of a paranormal encounter that he believes involved his late grandmother."I believe I've absolutely, for sure, seen an apparition in my life,” Bret explains, as he goes on to tell the story. “I felt the presence of someone come up and put their hands on my shoulders. It was a warm feeling. It was almost like a friend. I turn around, it was my grandma."

Check out the episode here – Bret’s tale starts at 1:44 and runs to 12:06.

Bret is currently on the road as part of the Mötley Crüe /Poison/New York Dolls tour that will play more than 40 shows across North America this summer.

Def Leppard are out on tour this summer in support of “Mirrorball,” the band’s first live album.

“Mirrorball” features a mix of live Leppard classics - recorded throughout The Sparkle Lounge Tour - three brand new studio songs, and a bonus DVD that contains live performances and intimate backstage footage captured on the road.

After a series of UK dates – including a headlining slot at Download – Leppard are now playing the States with Heart on what is a solid double-bill for rock fans.

Def Leppard have just announced that they will play two shows in Japan in November:

Earlier this month, Bach finished up mixing and mastering of his next solo album, “Kicking & Screaming,” due September 27.

Two weeks ago, the singer was reviewing extras for the release. “Working on bonus materials for CD Deluxe Editions!,” said Bach. “This will include unreleased songs, alternate mixes, & a bonus DVD ! With ProShot live concert footage! Going through footage now.”

Now comes word that the project has headed into full video territory, as Sebastian is set to film two new video videos tomorrow (Tuesday) in Hollywood, California with director Devin DeHaven of Fortress Entertainment.

"We are actually going to have three videos, but one of them is mainly live in concert,” says Bach. “So, we shoot two concept videos tomorrow and then run through the third song to intersperse the live footage with studio video footage," adding, "It's gonna be a fun day."

The follow-up to 2007’s “Angel Down,”“Kicking & Screaming" was produced by Bob Marlette and features guitarist Nick Sterling and drummer Bobby Jarzombek.

"Wondering if science could explain how he survived his 40-year avalanche of drugs and alcohol, Ozzy Osbourne became one of a handful of people in the world to have his entire DNA mapped in 2010. It was a highly complex, $65,000 process, but the results were conclusive: Ozzy is a genetic anomaly. The Full Ozzy Genome contained variants that scientists had never before encountered and the findings were presented at the prestigious TEDMED Conference in San Diego-making headlines around the world.

The procedure was in part sponsored by The Sunday Times of London, which had already caused an international fururoe by appointing Ozzy Osbourne its star health advice columnist. The newpaper argued that Ozzy's mutliple near-death experiences, 40-year history of drug abuse, and extreme hypocondria qualified him more than any other for the job. The column was an overnight hit, being quickly picked up by Rolling Stone to give it a global audience of millions.

In ‘Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy,’ Ozzy answers reader's questions with his outrageous wit and surprising wisdom, digging deep into his past to tell the memoir-style survival stories never published before-and offer guidance that no sane human being should follow. Part humor, part memoir, and part bad advice, ‘Trust Me, I'm Dr. Ozzy’ will include some of the best material from his published columns, answers to celebrities' medical questions, charts, sidebars, and more."

Sunday, June 26, 2011

While Beyonce was getting all the press on the main stage at the Glastonbury Festival Sunday night, Queens Of The Stone Age were rocking The Other Stage with a headlining set of their own.

The band is wrapping up a series of European dates this week before returning to the States, as Queens plan their 2011 schedule.

"We're going to take our one last break that we would get for a month, come back and do Glastonbury, then immediately jump in the studio,” frontman John Homme told BBC Radio 1. “Our record will be done by the end of the year. We have enough songs."

"It's been a while since we played such an intimate venue, but strip away the theatrics and we are a pedal-to-the-metal rock band, born in clubs like the 100 Club,” Alice said prior to the show. “We play every show like that anyway, and it will be fantastic to reconnect in that atmosphere. This show comes with a health warning — 'We don't do acoustic, this will be loud."

The 200 tickets for this rare, intimate club show sold out immediately. Fans were treated to a 17-song set full of surprises, including covers by many of the UK giants who played the club in their formative years: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals, and a Yardbirds classic was thrown in to boot.

There was a buzz in the air about a special guest for the show, which was played up all day Sunday by Alice’s Facebook team, who posted teasers about who the guest might be.

Turns out the guest was actor Johnny Depp, currently in England filming Tim Burton's "Dark Shadows." Depp strapped on his guitar and joined Cooper and crew for “I’m Eighteen” and “School’s Out.”

Depp had pursued a career as a musician before he became a full-time actor in the 1980s; he also famously once co-owned Los Angeles’ Viper Room club.

The Big Man may be gone, but he is far from forgotten, as tributes to the late E Street band sax man Clarence Clemons dominate the hennemusic Hot 10 this week.

At #1, Eddie Vedder’s tribute to Clemons came during a solo visit to the Letterman show. Vedder’s subtle nod to Clarence came with a simple gesture: the late sax legend’s first name was painted across the front of his ukele as he played a new track from his “Ukulele Songs” release.

No tribute could be more personal than that of the Boss, Bruce Springsteen himself. Bruce, along with the E Street Band, family and friends of Clarence gave him a special send-off and tribute during a private memorial service (#2).

And U2, just hours after the news of Clemons’ passing broke on Saturday, June 18, paid tribute with a version of “A Moment Of Surrender,”complete with Bono reading lyrics from the Springsteen classic “Jungleland,” a showcase for Clarence if there ever was one in the Bruce catalog (#10)

The HH10 is a list of the most-viewed rock news stories in the past week by hennemusic readers.

New this week on the HH10 is video of American Idol rocker James Durbin joining Steel Panther on stage in Hollywood for a Journey classic (at #4); Mick Jagger’s new supergorup – SuperHeavy – are getting closer to confirming a September release date for the project (#7); and, Led Zeppelin collectors can now get their hands on an old boat house owned by Jimmy Page during the formative years of the mighty British band.

Eddie Vedder Eddie Vedder – Without YouThe Late Show with David Letterman – June 20, 2011

Currently on tour in support of “A Thousand Suns,” the band contributed to the film’s soundtrack, including the lead single “Iridescent.”"Linkin Park have always been huge 'Transformers' fans," the movie's director Michael Bay told a news conference a few hours before the show. "They do very 'movie-esque' kind of music. We've had a good run - their tracks for the first two movies became number one hits, and their song for this movie fit in perfectly."

In Moscow, in addition to "Iridescent,"Linkin Park performed two dozen songs, mostly from their most recent album, 2010's "A Thousand Sins." Bay and "Transformers" star Shia LaBeouf, who also showed up in Moscow for the premiere, were seen in the VIP area during the concert, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Rocker James Durbin has released footage of some casual covers of a couple of Skid Row classics….songs he wasn’t allowed to perform on American Idol.

Durbin recently hung out with Sebastian Bach in Los Angeles, and he filled the former Skid Row vocalist in on a few things.

"Interesting. Hanging with James Durbin from American Idol,” posted Bach on Facebook. “He tells me he wanted to sing [the Skid Row song] “18 And Life” on American Idol but was told he's not allowed to, it's 'not cleared.' Who makes these decisions and why? How? He was told he could do a Bon Jovi song but not Skid Row. Very interesting. And s**tty."

Durbin made a name for himself in the rock community after being the first Idol contestant to embrace hard rock and heavy metal on the reality show contest. From his opening week cover of Judas Priest’s “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming” to having Zakk Wylde join him for a Sammy Hagar tune, Durbin grew stronger throughout the series as he gears up to launch his career.